Captain Swan- Nightmares
by booboowar
Summary: Emma continuously has nightmares from her previous adventures and troubles.


Nightmares

Everyone else was too restless to sleep, anxious about their impending arrival in Neverland. Henry had been kidnapped and taken there to see none other than Peter Pan. Emma, however, escaped below deck. She had reasoned with herself that she would need plenty of energy to retrieve her son, and for that she had to rest. She searched until she found the crew's quarters, choosing the softest bunk she could find. She wrapped herself in the sheets and slowly drifted off.

 _Jungle surrounded her as she searched endlessly. Then, she heard an all too familiar voice in the distance._

 _"Mom!"_

 _It was Henry, she knew it. He sounded panicked. Emma withdrew the sword she'd carried onto the island, prepared for a fight._

 _"Mom, help me please!" Henry shouted again._

 _Emma followed the sound until she found him. Henry was atop a hill, screaming in desperation for his mother._

 _"I'm coming, Henry!" she shouted._

 _She ran as fast as she could, but as she was just about to reach him, a hooded figure appeared. The stranger grabbed the collar of Henry's coat, dragging him to a cliff._

 _"NO! Please!" Emma begged of the stranger. "That's my son!"_

 _Henry was in tears now, and Emma dropped the sword in hopes that if the stranger thought she wasn't a threat, it would release him. But it didn't. Instead, it plunged its hand into Henry's chest, ripping out his heart. Henry collapsed to the ground._

 _"NO!" Emma shouted, sinking to her knees._

 _The stranger began to squeeze and Emma scrambled forward, determined to save her son's life. But no matter how much she tried, she did not clear any distance._

 _The stranger let the dust that was once Henry's heart drift in the breeze as Emma sobbed, still trying to reach her son's body. But the stranger would not even allow her to mourn that last part of him. He simply kicked Henry over the edge, and Emma lurched forward in a vain attempt to attack the stranger. But he was gone, and so was her only son._

Hook stood at the wheel, surveying his ship. Snow White was seasick, and her husband was trying to soothe her as best he could while she retched over the edge of the boat. Regina and the bloody crocodile had taken up residence in the captain's quarters, insisting on performing some sort of magic to assist in the retrieval of Henry. And Baelfire hadn't moved from his seat on the steps that led from the wheel to the rest of the deck. His head was in his hands, obviously anxious about returning to Neverland. But someone was missing.

Hook had no idea how long Emma had been gone. He was certain she had not jumped ship or fallen overboard, it wouldn't have been overlooked. He came to the conclusion that she had went below to explore the ship.

Hook silently disappeared below deck as well, to ensure that she was indeed alright. He searched the cargo hold, the galley, even the captain's quarters despite the complaints of its current occupants. Finally, he went to the crew's quarters. That was when he heard the screams.

He rushed for the door, nearly kicking it down to get to her. He found her in a nearby bunk, asleep but thrashing from nightmares.

"Swan!" Hook nearly shouted. When she did not wake, he hesitantly took her by the shoulders and shook. She became even more restless. Hook feared he may have been encouraging the nightmare.

"Emma." He said softly, placing his hand on her face and stroking her hair.

At her name, her eyes immediately opened and she began gasping, as if she had been unable to breathe.

"It's alright, you're safe." Hook told her in an attempt at comfort.

Emma sat up, moving her face from his hand. "We need to get to Henry." She simply stated.

"Aye, love. And we will. But beating yourself up won't do you any good." He told her. He could see from how tense she was and how she had been acting since he had been taken that she blamed herself. What she then said confirmed his suspicions.

"I'm his mother. I'm supposed to protect him. I failed." She leaned her head on the wall next to her, letting out a deep breath.

"You haven't been a parent for long, and no one knew that he would be a target." Hook said to assure her of herself.

"Why don't you go back to sleep?" he suggested, "You still look tired."

It was true. He could see the bags under her eyes. She nodded and laid herself back down. Hook stood up to see himself out, but was stopped dead in his tracks by her voice.

"Wait." She said softly. Hook stopped but didn't look at her.

"Sit with me, please." She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want to worry anyone else either. She knew Hook would keep it to himself. And Hook knew that he would oblige any request from her.

He nodded and sat next to her as she made herself comfortable. After a while her breathing slowed and she turned to her side, facing the wall.

When she began to twitch again, seemingly from another nightmare, Hook was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to wake her again. He thought about retrieving her mother, but he knew she wouldn't want anyone to know.

He tentatively reached out and touched her back, and began to stroke it, like he had seen her do for Henry when he was scared. She began to relax and Hook found a rhythm.

"Emma." He said with a sigh. He was unable to keep himself from her.

She turned herself over again, now facing him. He feared that he had woken her but her eyes remained closed.

As she turned over, she surprised him when she wrapped an arm over his lap. He tried not to think anything of it, just that she sensed that she was not alone and sought comfort in that.

He couldn't resist, he reached his hand out and gently stroked her face with his hand. He smiled down at her and wove his fingers into her golden locks, twirling it around and around. He could see her visibly relax completely now, finally getting the peaceful sleep she needed.

Emma awoke at the sound of her name. Someone had pulled her from the terror her sleep had produced. She was certain it would be one of her parents, or maybe even Neal. But it was Hook. She stared at him, not quite believing it yet.

"It's alright, you're safe." He said. She looked into his bright blue eyes and found the comfort she needed, from Captain Hook no less. His hand stroked her cheek, and she allowed it for a second before sitting up.

"We need to get to Henry." She said, urgently, or at least that was how it was supposed to sound. She imagined it sounded more groggy than anything.

"Aye, love. And we will. But beating yourself up won't do you any good." How the hell did he know what was on her mind?

"I'm his mother. I'm supposed to protect him. I failed." She confessed.

He attempted to console her. "You haven't been a parent for long, and no one knew that he would be a target." It was true. Emma grasped that bit of assurance and attempted to calm herself.

"Why don't you go back to sleep? You still look tired." Damn, he was good. She looked him in the eye again and she knew he wouldn't tell her parents about this incident. She complied all too easily and laid back down. She heard his footsteps as he walked away, but she didn't want to be alone. Without giving it a second thought, she called him back over. He would do anything for her, she knew. Just this once she would take advantage of it.

"Wait." That one word from her was enough to stop him. "Sit with me, please."

He nodded, not quite looking at her and sat on the bed with her. She lay down and closed her eyes, content not to be alone.

She slowly felt herself drift back into an uneasy sleep, filled with more of Henry's yells, but she couldn't see him through the storms that raged. Suddenly, she was awake again. She felt a hand lightly stroking her back. It was soothing, in a way that she hadn't known in years. She thought that one of her parents had come to take Hook's place, until she heard his voice.

"Emma." He said with a sigh. She tried to decipher him, why he spoke her name in that way. She knew he harbored feelings for her, and she was terrified of it. But the way her name rolled off his lips made it sound like he was in much deeper.

Her arm was asleep under her, so she rolled to face him. She couldn't help herself, she draped an arm over his lap. She told herself it was for reassurance that he was in fact next to her, that she was not alone.

She felt a gentle touch on her face. She knew it had to be him. It sent electricity through her skin. Then he began to stroke her hair. Emma smiled inwardly, not wanting to give away that she was awake.

She drifted off into a peaceful sleep, finally.

Emma was supposed to be alone tonight. Henry was at Regina's for the weekend, and her parents were out. Her father planned something for her mother, as it was their first time to really have a date since Neal was born. Emma volunteered to watch her baby brother, and she was perfectly fine with it being just the two of them, but Hook insisted that he stay with her. Emma supposed he was just worried, even though it had been weeks since Storybrook had had what he liked to call a "crisis."

She really couldn't blame him though. Both of their lives had been in danger countless times. Their most recent ventures probably made him afraid to let her out of his sight, Emma had nearly frozen to death, and the Dark One had tried to entrap her in a hat to make use of her magic. She tried her best to assure him that she was here and unharmed, but he still refused to take no for an answer and said he would be there at the same time her parents would be leaving.

Precisely at five, Hook arrived with dinner for both of them. Emma smiled fondly at him, grateful that she didn't have to cook.

"Granny's, grilled cheese for the lady." He said with a smile. He leaned in and kissed her lightly. As usual, she went weak in the knees.

"Thank you." She told him.

She led him inside and made two glasses of tea. She ensured Neal was content in his bouncy seat before turning Netflix on and allowing Hook to pick the movie. He picked one titled simply "Hook" out of curiosity. It was about Peter Pan as an adult, saving his son and daughter after the villainous Captain Hook abducted them from a bedroom.

"Who the bloody hell is this fool?" he inquired when a man who was meant to portray him appeared with a very large head of curly hair and a goofy grin.

"That is how we imagine you in this world." Emma replied with a laugh.

"He looks like an idiot." Hook huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

For the remainder of the night, Emma let him pick movie after movie. At eight-thirty, it was time for Neal to go to bed. Emma gave him his last bottle and laid him in his little crib in the bedroom, where he slept peacefully.

It was around eleven that night that, after half an hour of comfortable silence between them as they watched Shrek (Hook had a curiosity about this world's views on ogres), when Hook noticed she hadn't moved.

"Emma?" he said softly.

When she didn't answer, he looked down at her. Her legs were curled beneath her, and she leaned into him, fast asleep.

Hook smiled adoringly at her and enjoyed the rest of the movie, rubbing her back with his hand. When it was over, he scooped her carefully into his arms, so as not to wake her. He carried her to the bed and gently set her down. He contemplated on joining her, but they had never slept in the same bed together and he wasn't sure how she would feel. Instead, he covered her with a nearby blanket and climbed the stairs into the loft.

On the bed was a pair of pajamas he assumed Emma had borrowed from her father for his use. He smiled, she was always thinking. He changed into them and climbed into the bed that was usually hers, and fell asleep, comforted by her scent.

 _Emma was frozen in place again by Gold's magic. She watched helplessly as he held Killian's heart in front of him, ready to sacrifice him for his dark deed._

 _But this time, Belle didn't show with the dagger. There was no one to stop this. Gold squeezed once and Killian doubled over in paid. He looked at Emma, wanting the last thing he ever saw to be her. A single tear rolled down her cheek, she was about to lose him._

 _Gold then literally squeezed the life out of her love, and Killian crumpled to the ground. Whatever Gold was doing was complete, and he released Emma from the magic that was holding her. She charged up the steps to the clock tower, ready to kill Gold with her bare hands. But he was gone in a puff of smoke, and she was left with Killian's body. She threw herself over him and cried his name._

 _"Come back to me." She begged of him, but in vain. He was gone._

Hook awoke to hear Emma thrashing about in her bed. Without a second thought, he rushed down the stairs to her.

"Killian!'' she said in her sleep. Hook paused for a moment at the sound of his name. She was having a nightmare about him.

He came forward and tried to wake her up by shaking her by the shoulders. It wasn't until he spoke her name that she woke up.

Her hands came up to his face as she took him in, trying to make herself believe that he was there and not dead. When she had apparently done so, she took him in her arms, dragging him to the bed.

When she released him, she kissed him slowly, running her fingers through his hair. Hook hummed his content, kissing her in return with his hand around the back of her neck.

"Don't go." She told him. He nodded and settled himself under the blankets with her. She curled herself into him and relaxed again. He stayed awake to ensure that she had no more nightmares. Her breathing slowed down again as he stroked the top of her head. She didn't have another nightmare.

It had been months since they had found Emma and brought her home. She fought endlessly to keep the darkness at bay. Her family sought out Merlin, and begged of him to free her from the burden of being the Dark One. He was finally able to do it some weeks ago, but Emma still had traces of darkness in her. It would slowly fade, Merlin had assured her. But it was not quick enough.

She hid herself away most of the time, afraid of herself and the power she had in her time as the Dark One. Killian would usually find her, and stay with her until she was ready to face the world again. He did not push her. Instead, he listened and did whatever she asked of him. He would do whatever he could to keep her happy and comfortable.

They now shared a house together. Them and Henry. Emma tried her hardest to return to her previous self, for her son and her love. But they both knew the truth, Emma would never be the same, and they were okay with that.

Hook finally had the nerve to propose to Emma. He had known since their time in Neverland that he would never be this happy with another. The first time he'd laid eyes on her, he knew he felt something and it had terrified him. When she kissed him for the first time, all of his walls came crashing down. From that point onward, he knew he would follow her anywhere. And he had, even through time.

He saved every bit of money he had and visited the local jewelry store. He picked one that the salesman told him was "princess cut." He thought that one would suit her best, considering she was to be a princess until she was sent to this land.

He approached her parents while Emma was working late one night, asking for their blessing. Snow cried tears of joy and embraced him. David shook his hand and hugged him as well, welcoming him into their family. They invited everyone to Granny's that night, calling it a pot luck dinner. Something to bring the town together, just for fun. But the three of them knew that Emma was in for the surprise of her life.

Hook sought out Henry after school was out, and took him to his ship to go sailing. Once they were out on the water, he approached him. If he wished to marry the lad's mother, it only seemed fit that he ask for his blessing as well.

"Henry, you do know I love your mother." Hook said to the teenager.

"Yea, you make her happy. I'm glad she has you." Henry responded with a smile.

"I'm glad you feel that way, lad."

"Why?" Henry said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Because I want to take her hand in marriage, and I want to make sure you're okay with that. What say you?" Hook inquired.

Henry nearly jumped for joy and hugged the man who would soon be his step-father.

"I'll take that as a yes." Hook said with a laugh.

The two boys went straight to Granny's after arriving at the dock. Hook scanned the room for his love and found her with her parents in a booth. Snow gave him a knowing smile as he and Henry sat down with them.

Hook spent nearly three hours impatiently waiting for the right moment. He found it when things were winding down. The food was nearly gone, and there was a buzz of idle conversation.

He stood up and called for everyone's attention. Nervous as hell, he took Emma's hand and pulled her up to stand. Her cheeks turned red at the idea of all eyes on her.

"Emma, I do love you so. You've been at my side, even when I was at my worst moments. You never gave up on me." He began. Emma nodded with a smile on her face.

He continued on. "I didn't have a reason to live, for centuries. Until I met you. I didn't think I was worthy of your affections, I got myself into a few tight spots trying to be that man for you, a man fit for a princess. But now I never want to let you go."

And with that, he dropped to a kneeling position, plucking the small ring from his pocket. Emma's jaw dropped, and she looked to her parents and her son, who nodded in encouragement.

"Emma Swan, will you marry me?"

Emma crouched down so that she was level with her face and nodded. With tears in her eyes she embraced him and they stood up together. He slid the ring onto her left finger and kissed her.

The town erupted into applause and cheers. Men slapped Hook on the back, while the women cried and embraced Emma, all trying to examine the delicate diamond ring she now wore.

That night, the couple returned home with an exhausted Henry in tow. He hugged his mom and her fiancé before happily retiring to his bed.

Emma was spent as well, and Hook followed her into the bedroom. They both changed into their pajamas and settled in for the night. Emma wrapped him in her arms and entangled her legs with his, two beings molded into one.

Late into the night, Hook awoke to her stirring and mumbling. He sighed, the nightmares would never end.

"Emma." He said, knowing if he spoke her name it would wake her up. It always had.

Sure enough, her eyes opened immediately. Strangely, she was calm as she spoke.

"Please, Killian." She begged of him.

"What is it, love?" he asked.

"Don't go." She simply said.

Hook was confused for a second, but then he understood. He knew that look, he had worn it. Emma had changed so much, she had succumbed to darkness once, and now she was afraid of reverting and losing him in the process.

"Never." He assured her, kissing her forehead.

Emma awoke early one morning to find her husband's side of the bed to be empty. She climbed out of bed, wincing. She was still sore. She had arrived home from the hospital two days before with a newborn Ruth, named for her paternal grandmother whom she had never known.

She roamed the house in search of him. Henry was in his room, still sound asleep. She smiled at the sight of her oldest son, grateful to him for bringing her into this life. She padded her way down the hall and opened another door. Her second son, three year old Liam, named for Killian's brother, was also out cold in his bed. She could only assume that Killian was with Ruth, probably standing over her crib to admire her again.

She looked into her daughter's nursery and her suspicions were confirmed. Killian was in the rocking chair with his daughter asleep on his chest while he petted her head. He seemed to sense that Emma was in the room and looked at her. Concern came over his face.

"What is it, love? A nightmare?" he asked.

Emma shook her head. "They stopped long ago, Killian."

It was true. Sometime after they had wed, they stopped.


End file.
